New look for State Street Garage

Tuesday

Oct 22, 2013 at 12:17 AM

By IAN CUMMINGS

In about a year and a half, the State Street Garage could finally be real, and it will not look like anything that has been considered up to now.

The City Commission, under pressure from a developer threatening a lawsuit, chose a new design for the garage that was presented to them Monday night. It is a variation of an earlier design presented two weeks ago, and comprises a six-story parking garage bookended by a development of apartments and storefronts along Lemon Avenue.

The garage could be built in 19 months, city staff said, and would provide at least 345 parking spaces. That would satisfy the city's obligation to build 300 parking spaces, according to a contract with the developers of Pineapple Square, but would not meet the contract deadline of Feb. 10, 2015.

The parking was part of a package deal that brought merchants there, and developer John Simon, representing the Pineapple Square interests, said he was concerned that every delay would cost them thousands of dollars in sales and valet parking as they tried to compete with shopping centers elsewhere.

To satisfy the contract, and include 13,000 to 17,000 square feet of retail space, the city plans to spend about $7.3 million. The development has been through several rounds of negotiations and planning since 2005.

As the deadline has neared, developers with an interest in the garage have grown angry. An attorney representing them has sent a letter to the city threatening a lawsuit after an earlier plan was scrapped this summer.

After examining several designs two weeks ago with no decision, the City Commission quickly chose one Monday night and voted unanimously to ask a contractor to begin designing it.

The design they selected was a medium choice between smaller and larger designs that ranged from simple four-story garages to 10-story retail, parking and hotel complexes.

With nearly 18,000 square feet of retail for the city to market, four three-story residential-commercial units, and two large apartment spaces, the chosen model for the garage could be headed toward construction quickly. The residential and commercial elements facing Lemon Avenue could be built on a later timeline, following the parking garage along State Street.

Simon said he was skeptical the garage could be built in 19 months and blamed a succession of mayors and city commissions for delaying the project.

At the same time, Ian Black, who has been tasked with marketing the project for the city, was surprised by that new design and said he had reservations about the city's decision. He had only just seen the plans, which were not fully illustrated Monday, and asked for more time to study it.

“My initial reaction is one of great concern,” Black said. He hadn't had time to study the new design, and had unanswered questions, he said. Without knowing what income would be produced by the apartments and storefronts on Lemon Avenue, Black said, it could be hard to find a developer to build it downtown, where such construction is more complicated.

“I think it's a misplaced use for downtown,” Black said. “You have enough problems with residents downtown with noise and things.”

“What amenities are available to residents?” Black asked. “I know I hate to say this, but we would need to look at this some more.”

But despite limited details about the design, Black's reservations and Pineapple Square developer John Simon's doubts about the construction timeline, commissioners said they needed to move quickly and chose the best option they had. The decision pleased Sarasota resident Diana Hamilton.

“Let's build a great building — not just a home for cars,” she said.

Founding member of the Downtown Association of Sarasota Paul Thorpe had pushed for the design as well. “None of us will be here in 20 years. What will be there is a statement of a great city,” he said. “I think we're going to make a great mistake if we don't pick the best, the best we can get for our city.”

Black will spend between two weeks and a month deciding if he can market the project to private developers, or the city will begin bidding the work to others, city officials said.